Deputy Chief of School Design, HS

Deputy Chief of School Design, High School

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About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY;
New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Your Impact

This is a rare, high-impact leadership opportunity to shape the future of one of the country's leading charter school networks from the ground up. Achievement First is embarking on a historic redesign of its school model that is truly a once-in-a-generation effort to codify a unified, 12-K vision for excellence that will anchor every school across three states.

The Deputy Chief of School Design, High School is one of three Deputy Chiefs (Elementary, Middle, High School) who will work together to build a cohesive, integrated school model ready for launch in SY 27-28. After school design is complete, the Deputy Chief of School Design will transition into a standing Deputy Chief role, leading implementation across the network with a dedicated team of direct reports.

Core Charge & Year 1 Deliverables

The Deputy Chief of School Design, HS will design and codify the foundational components of the AF high school model, collaborating cross-functionally to account for every regional and academy-level nuance. Key design deliverables include:

• Graduate Profile:
  Define the core competencies, experiences, and mindsets students should carry out of the high school academy
• Core Academic & Enrichment Program:
  Outline program components aligned to the graduate profile; select curriculum and enrichment offerings; codify scheduling guidelines and define the purpose of each component
• Assessment Strategy & Calendar:
  Design a 12-K assessment strategy and multi-year calendar; develop data reporting protocols for consistent use across all schools
• Student Work Expectations & Instructional Vision:
  Set 12-K Student Work Expectations; build an exemplar library of instructional videos and student work samples to anchor the shared vision
• Staffing Model:
  Codify staffing models by academy level; define roles, responsibilities, and organizational structures by position
• KPIs & Evaluation:
  Set school-level KPIs; design aligned leader and teacher evaluation processes
• People Management Standards:
  Define and codify a network-wide standard for people management practices
• Training Plan & Launch:
  Design and lead the 12-K School Model launch for Summer 2027; design the SY 27-28 yearlong training program including leader training, teacher training, summer training, and network convenings across three states

By the end of Year 1, the Deputy Chief will deliver:

• High School Profile of a Graduate
• School KPIs and a Leader/Teacher Evaluation Process
• School and Network org charts aligned to the school model
• Vision for student work and instruction
• 12-K Curriculum and implementation guidelines
• Scheduling guidelines, component definitions, and vision for excellence
• Theory of Action for…